AIBU to hand over my holiday decision making to MN?

[emsyj]

On account of being so fucking sick of trying to find a holiday that DH doesn't think will be shit EVERY year? ?? And also - to not want to go on another sodding 'cottage' holiday where I have to do food shopping, cooking, tidying up and generally suffer that creeping feeling that this is, in fact, not a holiday, but just an expensive way to spend a week in a smaller and less convenient house than my own?

In case you cannot tell, I am utterly fed up. I want to book a week's holiday for me, DH and 2 DDs (3 and 6). Owing to work and school holidays, we need to go sometime between 5th August and end of August. DH doesn't want to be near people, doesn't want any noise, doesn't want to fly anywhere, doesn't want to drive a long distance, doesn't want to stay anywhere that isn't deluxe, doesn't want to spend any money, doesn't want to share a pool, doesn't want to not have a pool, wants a garden etc etc etc. All I want is a week when I don't have to plan what we will all have for dinner every day and do food shopping. I do not do not do not want to go self catering.

So, I call upon the wisdom of Mumsnet to tell me where the hell we can go.

What about a cruise? I'm quite sure you can get a boat from Southampton and go all sorts of places, Nordics, med, luxury accommodation and food included.

Center parcs Europe will fit the bill, ferry over , separate bedrooms and best of all the European ones offer half board so no cooking for you and if you go towards end of August should be a bit quieter

What about somewhere like
www.pierreetvacances.com/gb-en/holiday-villages_ms?pl=nav&tab=4

Your husband would object what with shared pool and closeness to neighbours but his list is impossible anyway. Get one with an onsite restaurant and close to a town and you can eat out most nights. Somewhere like Brittany has plenty of walking and history for him. Or the Alps or Alsace would work.

We usually do a 2 stage holiday, frequently more. Yoiu could go over and do a week at an all singing dancing resort or holiday park, with easy access to restaurants. Try www.yellohvillage.co.uk then on the way back do a week or few days in the middle of nowhere, you could even add a city break in there.

I was going to say Crief Hydro too.

I have also seen places abroad in a resort which have private villas with pool but also other pools and restaurants within resort. Will have a think.

If you're cooking and cleaning on a self catering holiday you're doing it wrong. Eat out or get nice ready meals and easy things like bread olives pate ham prepared salads etc. The only cleaning done is what's necessary to keep the kitchen usable. Make sure you get a dishwasher and DH pulls his weight.

Hire a pool or hot tub for your own garden, visit local attractions and see above re food and cleaning.

Send DH on a fear of flying course and get him some kind of medication so you can go all inclusive abroad.

Drive or go on the train to south or west of France or Northern Spain or send DH the slow way and you fly with the DCs. Go all inclusive or self catering the easy way as above. Or go somewhere where you can get a housekeeper for the duration.

But then again, rereading your posts suggests that what you're looking for doesn't exist as there are too many contradictory factors so significant compromises will be needed.

Channel islands? Ferry or short flight depending on where in the UK you live.
Guernsey is the quieter island. The beaches are huge and not at all crowded, even in august.
Good luck! You have an impossible task on your hands

I'm with choughed too! Wtf!

Remind him it's NOT just HIS holiday!

As for the flying - I am TERRIFIED of flying, yet for dd's sake I suck it up! I get diazepam from drs and distract myself as much as possible but I'm still terrified.

Never mind fear of flying course he needs a how not to be a selfish arse course!

Greece all inclusive with activities for kids. I should warn you though that our cottages in France booked up much earlier than usual this year so your choices are going to be limited. Maybe use a travel agent so it's not your fault.

The longer he lets his fear of flying get in the way the harder that it will be to break it and the more entrenched his 'I don't fly' attitude will become. To be honest it sounds a bit like he isn't bothered about flying away somewhere and doesn't really care that this affects you and your DDs. Your OP makes him sound quite self-centred.

In terms of useful advice, we went to this very nice hotel in Loch Lomond a few years ago www.cameronhouse.co.uk. It had plush family lodges in the grounds as well as being surprisingly family friendly. I should imagine the lodges have cooking facilities (not sure, we stayed in the hotel) but the hotel also has nice restaurants on site or a short drive away. Bloody expensive though and a long way away. When we went we took the train from London - Edinburgh, spent a few nights in Edinburgh and then hired a car and drove to Loch Lomond. If you did do Edinburgh though as you suggested you may then be aware of when the festival is (also late August, I think) as that will make accommodation hard to find and very expensive.

What about taking the ferry to Ireland? Your money will go further hate with the euro. Book a lodge attached to a hotel with a pool. Can't guarantee sunshine though